


The Black Umbrella Club

by BugMeBunny



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Alternate Universe - Not Related, Alternate Universe - Stripper/Exotic Dancer, F/F, F/M, Implied/Referenced Drug Addiction, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-06
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-03-17 13:00:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28600332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BugMeBunny/pseuds/BugMeBunny
Summary: New York's hottest club is the Black Umbrella Club. It. Has Everything. Characters who pine for each other but refuse to talk about their feelings. Strippers. Found families. Lots of gays.-aka-Diego takes Klaus off the street so he can get clean. But Klaus quickly gets dragged into a life Diego would never wish on anyone.
Relationships: Diego Hargreeves/Klaus Hargreeves
Comments: 3
Kudos: 14





	1. Cocaine is a hell of a drug

**Author's Note:**

> Hey y'all, so this fic is my first in forever. I don't have an upload schedule quite yet but I want y'all to get a chance to see the world that's been stuck in my head for the last few months.  
> This fic is going to discuss difficult or triggering themes as it goes on, I'll leave a CW list in each chapters notes for those sensitive to those topics.
> 
> Welcome to the Black Umbrella Club!
> 
> Chapter CWs  
> Drug use mentioned

Today is not the first time Klaus has found himself in this situation. (This situation being completely strung out in a back alley, crashing with some particularly bad withdrawals and looking for a small space to squeeze into so he can sleep for the night.) Today is also not the first time he has found himself desperate to find a source of some easy money, having blown his last cash on a large score a couple of days back.

Despite the familiarity of days like this today _is _a day of firsts. To start, this is Klaus’ first time in this part of the City. This is also Klaus’ first time being recognized by a passerby.__

__“Oh my god, stop! I know him.” Klaus heard the voice before he heard the footsteps running towards him. He managed to focus on the girl’s face and found she was right. They knew each other._ _

__“Oh, hey Jill,” Klaus said as nonchalantly as he could while stumbling against the closest wall for support. Jill and Klaus hadn’t seen each other in months. The two of them had frequented the same meetings before Klaus’ last stint in the hospital. She was always very sweet, and they had become fairly good friends over the time they shared in their mandatory meetings._ _

__“Oh sweetheart, you look bad,” Jill said softly. “You need help, don’t you?”_ _

__“Jill, who is this?” A man approached quickly, followed by another woman. Klaus closed his eyes and shook his head a little too late to be deemed a response by Jill._ _

__“Diego, this is an old friend of mine.” She said quietly, being discreet on Klaus’s behalf. Sweet sweet Jill._ _

__“Do you have your phone? We can’t leave him here like this. We have to call someone.” The other woman spoke up, patting her pockets. Klaus barked a laugh before sliding down against the wall to sit. He waved a hand in the air dismissively._ _

__“They’re not going to help,” Jill responded as she dropped down on her knees next to him and placed a hand on his shoulder comfortingly, all too familiar with what he was going through. “They haven’t in the past. Klaus, dear, do you want to come home with me?”_ _

__He felt the air around him shift, and looked to see what he could only assume was Adonis himself kneeling in front of him. The man cleared his throat before speaking._ _

__“Are you okay?” He asked in a manner that gave Klaus the impression that this man was used to helping others. Klaus nodded dumbly, regretting now not having cleaned up before hitting the streets. How must he look compared to this man, chiseled and clean to his soft and grimy._ _

__“You need a place to sleep?” He spoke again, and if Klaus was not practically dead on his feet he might have answered. The other woman spoke up quickly._ _

__“Diego, what are you doing?” She sighed. Diego looked up at her with a half scowl._ _

__“We can’t let him sleep out here, Eudora.” He replied quickly. “Here man, come with us. Jill, get his other arm.” Diego ordered while snaking a hand under Klaus’ arm. Jill complied easily and the two hauled Klaus up off the ground. Klaus didn’t feel great about this. No matter how hot this ‘Diego’ was, was he going to let a strange man sweep him up off the street? Jill being here did make him feel better, she was whispering soothing words to him as they walked back out of the alley._ _

__“You’re not gonna steal my kidneys while I sleep are you?” Klaus mumbled out, his feet just a little too slow to support his weight. Diego huffed a laugh that Klaus could feel against his neck, and before he could contemplate how hot that was he was pulled under into unconsciousness._ _

__

__Klaus woke up slowly, nearly positive he had been dreaming. He ran through the interaction again as he let his eyes adjust to the new scene around him. He was curled up on a soft bed, clutching a pillow tightly in his hands. So, not a dream. That man, Diego, and Jill, they did bring Klaus off the street._ _

__From the lack of beeping or tubes attached to him, he also realized they had not dumped him at some hospital. But where did that leave him? Jill’s place? He vaguely recalled her offering before he passed out. Klaus sat up carefully, his body racked with exhaustion._ _

__“Well, this is certainly a first,” Klaus spoke to himself. He often did, hazards of living as solitary as he did. As he took in his surroundings he became aware of three things. First, that this room was used primarily for storage normally. Boxes were shoved to the side, overflowing with workout equipment, books, and other odds and ends. One box even looked like there were black feathers shoved inside. Second, he saw a small bedside table with a glass of water, and what he guessed was Tylenol. Both of these he grabbed and quickly downed, despite how gross his mouth felt. Third, he could hear music drifting in from the other side of the door along with the smell of food. Never one to turn away a meal Klaus pulled himself up on his feet and shuffled through the door towards where he assumed the music was coming from._ _

__He found Jill in the kitchen, bobbing up and down and humming with the music as she slid an omelet onto a waiting plate. She spotted him as she turned to place the food on the small table in the corner._ _

__“Oh, Klaus! Perfect, I was just about to come to wake you up. Foods on, I’m sure you’re starving.” Jill greeted him with a warm hug, which he returned gratefully. Boy did it feel good to be held. She pulled back too soon to retrieve some juice from the fridge._ _

__“Why-” Klaus started before Jill tutted to shush him._ _

__“Sit. Eat. We’ve got a busy day and I want to make sure you get a real meal in your system first.” She pushed him down into the waiting chair with what Klaus thought was a surprising amount of strength. The last time he had seen Jill, probably seven months ago now, she had been practically skin and bones. As he looked her over he realized she was exceptionally more healthy. Her frame, once thin and lanky, was filled out. She looked strong, her arms especially. The workout equipment made sense now._ _

__“Okay, but you need to tell me what is happening. Look at you! Putting my sexy self to shame.” He complimented her as he filled his plate with the food before him. She snorted a laugh, practically choking on her juice. They quickly fell into a comfortable conversation, throwing remarks back and forth as Klaus filled his stomach properly for the first time in too long. They avoided the elephant in the room, of mentioning how they came back into contact. They were too glad to be back in each other's company to bring the conversation down._ _

__Jill suggested a shower after Klaus had polished off what was left on his plate. Klaus groaned appreciatively, kissing Jill on the forehead. She was truly a blessing._ _

__“Your place is nice,” Klaus said conversationally as he showered. Jill, who was seated on the other side of the curtain, huffed a laugh._ _

__“Oh no, this isn’t my place. It’s Diegos. He offered his spare bed so you wouldn’t be on the couch at mine.” That brought Klaus up short. Not Jill's place. The hot man's place. Had he been more observant, he would have noticed. The shower was filled with signs that someone very masculine lived here. If the deep blacks and reds of all the “FOR MEN'' labels on all of the bottles hadn’t clued him in, then the 2-in-1 shampoo conditioner should have. Jill would never do that to her gorgeous curls._ _

__“That was very generous of him. And tell me, dear, how did you come to be an acquaintance of a walking god like that?” He shot back, remembering his face. Klaus always had a weakness for the rough boys, and nothing about Diego looked smooth._ _

__“Oh, he’s a coworker.” She responded conspicuously._ _

__“Look at you, Miss Stable Job. Tell me, is it a requirement of your employer to be extremely hot? What do you guys do?” Jill cleared her throat conspicuously.  
“Well, nothing today for me. You and I are going out to get you some new clothes.” She deflected. Klaus turned the water off, sad to lose the steaming hot water. Jill’s hand stuck in to hand him a towel which he wrapped quickly around his body. He stepped out carefully._ _

__“Babe, I’m down right now. I hardly have enough for a bus back into the city.” Klaus said, trying not to sound too desperate. Hard to do when you were desperate. Jill smiled at him sweetly, with just a hint of mischievousness in her eyes._ _

__“Oh, you don’t have to worry about that.”_ _

__

__Five hours later they returned to the apartments, in much higher spirits than Klaus had managed without drugs in a while. Jill had insisted on picking up the tab, so Klaus had insisted on thrifting. He’d always preferred thrift stores to begin. All the clothes had so much more character than fast fashion stores managed nowadays. And if he could manage to walk away with a week's worth of clothes for just barely a three-digit total, then all the better._ _

__“You know I’m going to pay you back,” Klaus said, trying to snatch the receipt from Jill as they unloaded his bags on the bed. Jill stretched up on her toes, keeping it from his reach._ _

__“Not until you get back on your feet, sir.” Despite his prying, Jill had yet to tell Klaus what it was that she was doing now that made it so she didn’t even bat an eye at dropping over a hundred on someone with no expectation of a return. This kind of generosity was new to Klaus. Before he could question her again the front door opened. Klaus’ eyes darted quickly up, and Jill giggled._ _

__“Heeeey Diego!” Jill called, throwing an arm around Klaus’ waist and pulling him out of the bedroom out to the living area. Diego looked up with a slight smile, glancing at Klaus up and down. Klaus shifted his weight, he had changed into a long pleather skirt they had found in the girl’s section with a tight black tee to match. Surely Jill would have warned him if this Diego guy was going to react badly to some gender nonconformity, right?_ _

__“Hey Jill, passed Ben in the hall. He said to make sure you checked your phone.” Diego said as he kicked his shoes off and dropped the bags he was carrying. Jill pulled her phone out and dropped her arm from Klaus’ waist._ _

__“Oh shoot. Sorry, Klaus, I need to deal with this.” Jill rushed to the door, kissing Klaus and Diego on the cheek. “Diego, play nice. Klaus, I’ll see you in the morning!” The door closed behind her and the apartment was plunged into silence. Klaus shuffled slightly, not often at a loss for words._ _

__“So Jill says you two work together?” He tried, maybe he would be more forthcoming than Jill. Diego looked at him with an unhappy look._ _

__“Yeah,” Diego responded in a way that suggested that he was even less likely to answer his questions._ _

__“Cool, cool. Uh. Well hey man I wanted to say thank you. I really appreciate you guys giving me a place to stay. I’ll get out of your hair tonight-” Before Klaus could finish Diego gave him a look that made his mouth go dry._ _

__“What are you talking about?” He asked critically, shrugging his jacket off and hanging it up. “I mean, I don’t mean to seem like a dick but it didn’t seem like you had much in the way of stability last night. I’m not gonna let you go back to sleeping on the street.” He said matter-of-factly._ _

__Klaus laughed, realizing that not only was Diego hot, but he also had a big heart. Or a savior complex. Or both._ _

__“Look man, I’m not some charity case. I’ll be fine. Not my first time on the street. I’ll find a place with a roof in no time. I mean, fuck, you don’t even know me from Dick.” Klaus said, realizing that since he spoke with his hands Diego was watching him intently._ _

__“Nah, I can tell you’re not a charity case. But… Look, Jill was worried as hell last night. She likes you, and wants to know you’re safe so I’m more than happy to help out.”_ _

__“Oh, sweet Jill…” Klaus clutched his heart, momentarily thanking the god he was sure wasn’t listening that he’d been fortunate enough to know the girl. “But still, I’m a total stranger.” Diego shrugged, taking a moment to lean against the edge of the door frame._ _

__“You’re not the first person to show up here, strung out, and needing help. I won’t pry, but you need a support system. You can find one here if you want. If you don't feel free to leave, I won’t stop you.”_ _

__“Well… That depends.” Klaus said thoughtfully. Diego raised his eyebrows expectantly._ _

__“On?”_ _

__“Is everyone here as hot and mysterious as you are?” Diego smirked, picking the bags up off the floor. Klaus felt his nervousness start to melt away. Diego plucked the bags up off the floor and handed one to Klaus._ _

__“Come on, I got dinner.”_ _


	2. Now we don't have time to unpack ALL of that

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you tell I'm rushing the exposition? I'm dying to get to the good stuff. I hope I'm not sacrificing too much characterization. If I am I promise you I'll make up for it in the coming chapters!

The next week was, much to Klaus’ surprise, not as difficult as he’d anticipated. This was in part due to the enthusiastic support from Jill and the quietly implied support from Diego. Neither had pried or pressed Klaus when he was having a difficult time. He knew that Jill had experiences similar to his own, but this made him wonder about Diego. Was he recovering too? Klaus never asked.

The recovery was also made easier by Klaus’ new friends. The second day he was there Jill had returned, as promised, with her boyfriend Ben in tow. The two men got on like a house on fire. Ben’s dry wit complimented Klaus’ flamboyant sense of humor fantastically. He more than once told Jill to watch out before he stole Ben for himself. 

The next day he found himself in the company of Eudora, the woman who had been there when Jill and Diego had found him. That day was not as fun, but Eudora was very no-nonsense in an endearing way. When Klaus asked her if she was on babysitting duty for the day, she had no hesitations in saying she was. Klaus appreciated the blunt honesty, and though stung to know that he wasn’t trusted to be alone he knew that it was probably for the best if he had any chance at staying clean.

Daily babysitting was easy to set up when everyone involved lived in the same complex. The building was three stories with eight apartments each on the first two floors. When Klaus had agreed to stay, Diego made sure to tell him that the third floor was off-limits. Some kind of executive suite deal, the whole floor belonged to one person. Before Klaus was able to ask more he had been thoroughly distracted by Diego's impressively tight ass, complimented by his leather pants. The man wore so. much. leather.

From what he had gathered, Diego and Jill were neighbors. Jill and Ben lived together in the next even-numbered apartment. Eudora was up on the second floor, though he had never been up to see it himself. In his time in the halls, he had seen a few of the other tenants, though none other than his established connections paid him any mind. Jill had made it sound like everyone was on friendly terms, but the look the behemoth of a man from the first apartment gave him made him think otherwise.

He did start to think that this must be some front for something shady at least. No one talked about how they ended up here, aside from Diego's insinuation that Klaus wasn’t the first addict they had taken off the street. Maybe it was all some weird elaborate rehab program?

By the end of the week, Klaus had started to feel at ease with what was seemingly his new life. He wasn’t sure when the other shoe would drop but found he didn’t particularly care. This was the most fun he’d ever remembered having, despite still dealing with the harsh reality of sobering up.

And Diego. Holy fuck, Diego. Living with him was sweet torture. Klaus had only ever been brave enough to casually flirt as a joke but found himself longing to find out what those hands would feel like against his body.

Klaus, at least, had no trouble adjusting to the odd schedules his new companions kept. They worked late nights and started their days in the afternoon. This suited him just fine, he’d always been a night owl. The one exception to this rule, Diego was partial to starting his days early in the morning. A ‘quick’ five-mile jog was always the start of his day. Klaus almost longed to join, if only to get more opportunities to see Diego in his black fitted tank top and work out shorts, but he knew he would most likely embarrass himself if he tried to keep up with the athletic man.

He found he enjoyed the time he got to spend with Diego. The first few days had been a little awkward as he adjusted, only really seeing his new roommate in passing. As the week came to an end they had fallen into a routine that gave them usually a few hours alone together before Diego would head to work.

It did take him a few days to relax around Klaus, but when he did he was _funny. _One shared meal with Ben and Jill had Diego showing a side that Klaus longed to see more of.__

__It was clear Ben and Jill both looked up to Diego and it gave Klaus the idea that they were exceptionally close. Klaus had never grown up with siblings of his own, but he thought this must be what it was like. The way that the trio joked with each other dripped with familiarity and love. This struck Klaus as a little odd, relationships like this weren’t common among coworkers he thought._ _

__Still, these times had given Klaus a pretty good idea of who Diego was as a person. On the surface, he seemed like an intense man without a sense of humor, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. It shocked Klaus that the pair had a lot in common. Though he never went into detail Diego had made it clear his childhood was nothing to be envious of. On top of that, they shared some interests. Klaus had made an offhand reference to a comic book series he had loved as a kid and to his surprise Diego owned every installment. Diego ended up having to run out mid-conversation, realizing that he was going to be late for work._ _

__That was the one thing they never talked about. Work. Diego never told Klaus what it was he did for work. No one here did, only ever saying that they worked together. This evasiveness made Klaus even more curious, but he doubted Diego would respond well to questioning. He figured Jill would be the easiest one to get some information out of._ _

__

__Surprisingly, Ben was the first person to let something slip. Klaus had been flipping through the newspaper, he was looking at the job listings while Ben played a video game on the TV. He was telling Klaus about a time some drunk guy had managed to throw up all over him at a club._ _

__“Oh no, how far did you have to walk home like that?” Klaus asked, positive that he’d been in a similar situation once or twice at the height of his clubbing days. Even if he’d been able to swing the cash, no taxi would pick you up covered in puke._ _

__“Nah, I got cleaned up and finished my shift cause I’m a damn professional.” He laughed, not realizing he had just given Klaus something no one else had. Whenever he asked his acquaintances about what they did for a living, he was always deflected. Some were more adept than others at redirecting those conversations._ _

__“You work at a club?” Klaus asked, too interested to try and be more stealthy with his questions. Ben froze, staring intently forward. “Where?”_ _

__“Oh, just a local place.” Ben tried to be casual but Klaus saw the flash of dishonesty in his look. He truly was a terrible liar. Before Klaus could press further Jill was pushing her way through the front door, delicately balancing a large order from the pizza joint down the street._ _

__“Jill! Here let me help you with that!” Ben scrambled up to help, putting a quick end to their conversation._ _

__Eudora had shut down Klaus’ questions before they even really began. When he mentioned that Ben had said something about a club she gave him a pointed look._ _

__“Yep. We do. But I’m not telling you anything about it, so don’t bother asking.” She said firmly. Classic Eudora._ _

__Jill had been the closest to cracking. Klaus had cornered her one afternoon and asked point-blank if she was caught up in some dangerously illegal drug dealing, human trafficking type business. The look of shock she gave him was one Klaus found hilarious._ _

__“Babe, I’m kidding. Please, just tell me what you guys do, I’m dying of curiosity!” Klaus exclaimed, clenching his hands in front of him, begging._ _

__“No, Klaus. It’s just a club. Nothing nefarious. I promise.” She said, patting his shoulders softly._ _

__“Why won’t anyone tell me anything?” Klaus whined, grabbing Jill by the hands. “Why is this a big mystery?” He implored her for an answer. Jill bit her lip in consideration then looked to the sides to make sure they were alone._ _

__“Okay. No one likes to talk about it as is, it’s an alright job but the guy we work for is… He really sucks.” She explained carefully. “But-” Jill hesitated.  
__

__“...But…?” Klaus prompted._ _

__“Just trust me, it’s not a place you want to work. It’s one of those jobs that doesn’t let you go once it gets you. You can find better. I promise you.” She said soothingly. With a peck on the cheek, she scurried away, leaving Klaus standing alone in the hallway._ _

__

__It came to a head when Diego had decided to clear out the rest of his boxes from the room that had quickly become Klaus’. With the job searching, and an air of permanency surrounding their situation, he felt it only fair to give Klaus space to himself. Klaus had not expected this simple gesture to flip his life upside down. But that is exactly what happened._ _

__That morning after his run Diego had borrowed one of the luggage racks from the lobby to help move the boxes quickly downstairs. Each apartment had designated storage space in the basement. Between the two they quickly stacked the boxes, somewhat precariously, on the rack and had taken the elevator down._ _

__Diego made the mistake of pushing the rack before Klaus had the chance to lift it and the front wheels caught on the lip of the floor and the top box came tumbling off the pile. The contents spilled out and Diego cursed loudly._ _

__“Here, now push,” Klaus said, lifting the cart and guiding it out of the elevator fully before turning to help pick up the mess. Diego was flushing a dark red, at least Klaus thought so. It was hard to tell since he had his hand covering his face._ _

__“Diego what are you- oh.” Klaus had started to question before finally looking at the items scattered on the floor. He saw various leather items of clothing, all looking like they would cover very little. There was a black feather boa, pieces of themed costumes, and what looked like a well worn strappy leather harness. What stood out most was the brightly colored speedos. Klaus sputtered, unable to contain a giggle at the ridiculousness of the items._ _

__“Diego… Are these yours?” He asked in a singsong voice. Diego groaned in response and dropped down into a crouch, grabbing handfuls of leather, feathers, and sequins and shoving them back into the box._ _

__“Yes. They are.” He replied, avoiding Klaus’ eyes._ _

__“Kinky,” Klaus said with a laugh, reaching down to get some of the items that had slid further than the others._ _

__“No- That’s not-!” Diego huffed with embarrassment. “Fuck me, okay, uh-” Diego sighed loudly, lifting the offending box off the floor. “They were for work. It’s all shit I don’t use anymore.”_ _

__Klaus’ eyes lit up like a kid on Christmas. Diego NEVER talked about his job. The final piece to the whole mysterious puzzle._ _

__“Oh, I see. That’s why everyone’s so hush-hush here. You’re all strippers, aren’t you? You know, that’s nothing to be embarrassed about!” Klaus said reassuringly, but Diego was still avoiding meeting his eyes._ _

__“No, that’s not it. I-I’m not embarrassed about what I do. It’s a fine job.” He continued pushing the cart till they reached the caged area designated APARTMENT 2._ _

__“So, then why doesn’t anyone talk about it? Like, anybody?” Klaus asked, not wanting to pry but desperate for the answers he’d been skirting around for the last week and a half. Diego quietly stacked the boxes in the far corner, thinking about what he wanted to say._ _

__“Klaus this job, it-” He sighed, waving his hands around like he didn’t know what to say._ _

__“Diego, come on. I’m not a kid. Just tell me.” He asked, worried he was pushing too hard. Diego looked at him critically. He sighed, resigned, and explained._ _

__“It’s not the job itself. It’s who we do it for. The man that owns the club, Reginald Hargreeves, is a jackass. The only reason it’s tolerable is that we hardly see him. But it wasn’t always like that.” He gestured for Klaus to follow him out and locked up behind them._ _

__“I started at the club five years ago. Reginald took me off the street and gave me a place to live. And I was grateful, don’t get me wrong. But the way he drove us back then was… nearly intolerable. Only two other people from then still work for the club. The turnover was insane.” Diego told him, leading them back to the apartment._ _

__“It was just me, Luther, and Allison for a while. Well, the only ones with any permanency. It got better after Pogo started. He’s the floor manager. Essentially Reginald’s secondhand man. Once he started it was better. Dancers started sticking around more. It’s still hard, he still has high expectations. But I mean, look what he does for us.” He gestured around._ _

__“He owns the building, doesn’t charge us much to stay here. There are resources available to me here that I wouldn’t have ever imagined when I was on the street. But… I’m not sure it’s worth it. H-he’s not a good man. He doesn’t do this out of the kindness of his heart. We’re just sources of income to him. That’s why no one talks about it.” Diego sat down on the couch, his hand absentmindedly tracing along the scar on the side of his face. Klaus sat next to him softly._ _

__“That’s gotta suck. Feeling like that I mean.” Klaus said awkwardly. He was never good with comforting words. “Do all of you…?” He gestured towards the door, referring to the others in the building.  
“All of us on the first-floor strip, yeah. Except for Jill, she just serves tables,” Diego answered. That made Klaus’ mind wander. _ _

__That meant that Ben… And the behemoth in the first apartment. That was an interesting thought._ _

__“Could I… come watch?” He asked, dying to see his thoughts play out. Diego sighed, looking over with defeat._ _

__“This is why we didn’t want to tell you. It gets people curious.” Diego shook his head, checking his watch._ _

__“Okay, I’ll make you a deal. You can come tonight, I’ll get you a table. But two conditions. Don’t talk to Pogo. And let me introduce you to someone.” Diego offered. Klaus smiled, reaching a handout._ _

__“Deal.”_ _


	3. That Magic Mike type beat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to all the magic mike clips I watched on youtube for inspiration on the dancing

That night as Diego headed out for work Klaus joined him. He was clearly nervous, sitting too stiffly, sentences too short. Klaus could only hope that he got more comfortable later in the night or it was going to be awkward when they got home.

It was a short drive, hardly worth taking the car but Diego explained that, without fail, at least one of the girls working that night who had walked to work would ask for a ride home. This endeared Klaus, that Diego was constantly adjusting what he did to help others.

They parked in a small lot around the back of the building. Diego led Klaus through the alley towards the front of the building. When they came out on the other side Klaus saw what looked like a line already forming in the front of the building. He took a moment to look up at the ornate sign above the entrance that read ‘The Black Umbrella Club’. 

Diego bypassed the line, walking up to the man standing at the door, presumably to check IDs. 

“Hey, Raymond. He’s with me.” Diego said, gesturing Klaus to walk ahead of him. He gave a friendly smile as they passed.

“Alright, Diego,” Raymond clasped Diego’s hand as they passed. Klaus walked through the doors and thought for a moment that this was not at all what he had expected. This looked like a fairly standard club. He saw a wide dance floor and a bar against the back wall. There were no stages or anything. Already, there was music playing though the bar was clearly not open yet.

Diego passed him quickly, tapping his arm to make sure he followed. They walked towards the left side of the bar. Diego said a quick hello to the man at the bar before walking through a dark doorway that led into a hall to the left. The walls were lined with soft black fabric that Klaus couldn’t help but reach out and touch as they made their way to the podium at the end of the hall.  


There stood a man, big in build and wearing a professional suit. He gave Diego a nod as they approached.

“Hazel, this is Klaus.” Diego introduced the pair and Klaus reached out for a handshake.

“Hello, Klaus. It’s nice to finally meet you. I apologize that this is the first time we’re meeting, I usually make it a point to know everyone in the building.” Hazel said conversationally. 

“Oh, do you live in the apartments too?” Klaus asked, he hadn’t seen Hazel before. It wasn’t necessarily surprising considering he spent most of his time in either apartment 2 or 4. Now that he thought about it, this was his first time out of the apartments in the last week.

“Yes, I live upstairs with my partner Agnes. You’ll probably get to meet her soon, she usually brings some snacks in for the kids at the end of the shift.” He smiled warmly. Klaus got the sense that this man, despite looking quite imposing, was probably a real softie. 

“Can’t wait!” Klaus said as Diego ushered him through the door. Klaus skitted to a halt at the room before him. This was more what he had imagined. The room was dim, with red accent lights lining the wall. There were a few booth tables adhered to the outer walls with small two-person tables spaced evenly on the floor. He saw what looked like two separated stages sat on the far wall with two poles per stage. The bar here was attached to the front wall, probably directly behind where the front club’s bar was. As he looked over he saw a familiar face. 

“Well look what the cat dragged in,” Eudora smirked from behind the bar. She was prepping the bar for the night. A few feet further down a man was cutting up citrus carefully.  


“Hey, Patch, do you know what booths are reserved tonight?” Diego asked, leaning forward on the bar. She checked a list she had on a clipboard and told him that the three booths against the far wall were all booked. 

“Perfect. Hey Klaus, I’m gonna have you at booth 5 over here by the bar. Eudora, if you see Pogo coming to pester Klaus can you tell him to mind his own business?” Diego asked, gesturing Klaus to a solitary booth on the wall that would give him a clear view of the stage that lined the far wall. Eudora gave him a mock salute and returned to her bar prep.

“Okay, we open in-” He gave a quick check of his watch. “10 minutes. Wait here, I’ll be right back.” Diego ducked quickly through the door in the far corner which he assumed led to the back area of the stage. While he waited Klaus sat at the bar and turned to Eudora.

“So Eudora-”

“Call me Patch. We don’t do first names here kid.” She said, with no real edge in her voice. Klaus gave a lopsided grin.

“Ooookay Patch. So, tell me a bit about this place.” She gave him a critical look and rolled her eyes.

“Figures Gogo didn’t tell you much. I’m surprised he brought you at all.” She continued while Klaus REELED over the nickname. Gogo. How precious! 

“The room is kind of divided in two” She explained, gesturing to the middle of the room where there was a line of booths with partitions attached to the back. “Boys dance on this side, girls on the other. Tonights shaping up to be busy. Bachelorette party on this side and party of 13 over on the girl's side.” Patch finished setting up her glasses and gestured behind him. 

Klaus looked over his shoulder and saw Diego coming back with a sweet looking woman in tow. She was wearing a vintage-looking dress and had a bright smile. Klaus felt at ease instantly. The smile on Diego’s face was so happy it made Klaus’s heart hurt.

“Klaus, this is Grace. Grace, Klaus.” He introduced them as he ushered the two over to the booth that he had planned on claiming. 

“It’s very nice to meet you, Klaus,” Grace said with a slight Texan accent. She turned to Diego and patted him on the cheek. “Gogo, sweetie, you should go get ready. I’ll take it from here.” She smiled, taking a seat across from Klaus and placing a bag on the seat next to her. 

“Alright mom,” He responded, kissing her on the cheek. Klaus furrowed his brow.

“Are you his mother?” He asked as Diego walked away. Grace gave a wave of her hand with a laugh.

“Oh, no dear. That’s what all the kids call me. I’m the house mom.” She explained. “I keep the dancers comfortable, help them where I can. Make sure they eat a real homecooked meal now and then.” 

Klaus folded his hands under his chin as he leaned on the table. He found that Grace was like a ball of light that he wanted to be closer to. 

“I hope I’m not being too forward, dear, but Gogo told me a little about your situation.” She said discreetly. Klaus cocked his head to the side.

“Now feel free to stop me at any time, but I have some experience placing people in some very good rehabilitation programs.” Grace pulled a folder out of her bag and laid the contents on the table. Klaus dropped his hands and shuffled through the papers.

Grace had started to explain the pros and cons of the different programs with a sure familiarity but she was quickly whisked away by one of the servers to help backstage, leaving Klaus alone. He had grabbed a drink from the bar, per Grace insisting that his orders were on the house. 

Before long, the doors were opened and customers started streaming in. A few minutes later he saw two people taking the stage, one on each side of the room. A boy Klaus had not seen before took the left stage, he looked like he was barely legal. The babyface combined with the schoolboy uniform made it seem like a borderline crime to be watching him. Over on the girl's side, Klaus could see a girl with long brown braids in a schoolgirls uniform, short plaid skirt and all, take the right stage.

Klaus kept his eyes glued to the stage as the familiar notes of The Police’s ‘Don’t Stand So Close To Me’ faded in. 

The tables closest to the stages filled up quickly and Klaus noted that each stage had a fairly mixed crowd. Seemed like a very queer-friendly place, and that put him at ease. A bodiless voice announced the dancers. Violet on one stage and The Boy on the other.

It didn’t take long for the Boy to be stripped of his tie and shirt, leaving him in just his short shorts and socks. He twirled around the pole gracefully and Klaus saw that his feet weren’t touching the floor. It looked effortless but spoke on how strong the boy must be to hold his weight like that.

Klaus tried not to let his jaw drop as he dropped to his knees and crawled down the stage. He could see money already flying at the stage, a few notes sticking out from the top of his shorts as the Boy thrust his hips to the beat of the music. 

The woman, Violet, was doing just as well on her stage. Her top had gone flying and she was left in a black lace bra that matched the fishnet stockings that weaved over her legs. Klaus found himself cheering along with the other patrons as the two finished their performances.

It seemed like the dancers were on a rotation. At the end of the first song, the Boy and Violet had come off their respective stages. They were replaced by the man from apartment one, introduced as Space-boy, and a tall beautiful woman who went by The Rumor. Each performer received an enthusiastic response and Klaus saw the Boy disappear into what looked like a private room with a customer from the floor quickly.

Klaus was sure his heart was going to give out when Diego took the stage for the first time. He was dancing to Queen’s ‘I Want To Break Free’ It wasn’t that he was only wearing tight leather shorts and another iteration of the strappy leather harness that made Klaus’s heart do leaps in his chest. It was the moment that Diego was sure Klaus was looking at him and he _winked _. When Diego was off the stage he made a beeline for the booth Klaus was at. He seemed to have shed his apprehensions from earlier and was giving Klaus a coy smile.__

__“So, what did you think?” He said in a nearly teasing tone. Klaus squared his shoulders, two could play at this game._ _

__“Well, I just adored your performance, Gogo.” He said sickly sweet, batting his eyes up at the man. Diego leaned against the table, bringing his face down to Klaus’s level. He smirked as Klaus held his breath._ _

__“I’m glad you liked it.” He whispered before pulling back. Klaus tried to look unaffected, taking a sip of his drink. “I’ll try and swing by each time I hit the floor. Gotta run, we’ve got a special performance coming up.” He said, patting Klaus on the shoulder._ _

__“Wouldn’t miss it for the world!” Klaus called as Diego walked away._ _

__Before long the bodiless voice returned. Apparently, the bachelorette party had set up a special show for the bride to be. Space-boy and Diego had come to usher the bride to be up on the stage. Ben had set up a chair before climbing back down into the crowd. A hush fell over the crowd as Diego took place and once the first notes of Rhianna’s S &M started the crowd went wild._ _

__What Klaus would not give to be that woman right now. Diego had dropped to his knees in front of the women, taking her hand and kissing it. He spun and slid to face the crowd, thrusting with the music. Behind him, the woman fanned her face, clearly playing it up for her friends who were hooting and hollering up at the stage. Diego made his way smoothly behind the chair and slid a hand down the woman's chest. She leaned back, looking up at him as he turned his face towards her._ _

__With impressive dexterity Diego jumped up and held weight on the back of the chair, his legs lifting into the air. He used the momentum to swing around the chair, landing deftly in her lap. As he arched his back, letting his head fall back towards the crowd, Diego caught Klaus’s eye. The look he gave him had Klaus biting his lip._ _

__Diego brought himself back up and pressed his face against the woman's neck. It looked like he had whispered something to her because she nodded in response. He flipped himself off her lap, bringing his legs on either side of the chair. He quickly spun it to the side and lowered the back to the ground, the woman going with it. Diego walked a few steps back behind her head and dropped to the floor._ _

__Crawling sensually, he brought himself close, thrusting just over her face as he ripped his white tank top off. With skilled hands he reached under her and lifted her off the floor, holding her momentarily upside down. He spun her carefully around until her legs were wrapped around his waist as he held her up. Placing her down near the up-ended chair he bent her over, her hands on the floor while he thrust against her from behind._ _

__Klaus shifted in his seat, hoping to god he didn’t pop a boner in the middle of the club. He was left reeling as the song came to an end. Diego escorted the woman down the stairs, kissing her hand once more before turning to pick up the layer of cash that had been thrown upon the stage while he performed._ _

__That was something Klaus was going to be adding to the spank bank._ _

__

__The night seemed to pass in a blur after Diego's big performance. As promised he swung by every time he got off the stage. He would make a few flirtatious comments before being pulled back to the floor by some customer or another requesting a private dance. Jill and Ben also made their way around to his table to say hello, happy to see Klaus out of the apartments. Or, more likely, happy that they no longer needed to be keeping secrets from him._ _

__Klaus could tell when the night was winding down. 2 am was fast approaching, the time the club closed. As he was grabbing another drink from the bar Klaus was approached by an older man. He had a slight hunch as he walked, with small frames on his face. He wore a nicely tailored maroon suit jacket with a gold pocket watch hanging from a chain tucked into his vest._ _

__“You must be the gentleman that has moved into Apartment 2.” The man spoke in a soothing familiar voice. Klaus quickly realized that this must be the man who had been making the announcements._ _

__“Yeah, that’s me. Name’s Klaus.” He gave the man a polite shake of the hand. Patch walked over quickly._ _

__“Pogo you’re gonna get me in trouble.” She said, putting both hands on the bar. The man, Pogo, gave her a small wave._ _

__“I will handle any complaints Mister Gogo has.” He assured her. He gestured back to the booth Klaus had been occupying. “Have a seat with me?” He offered even as he was walking away. With a quick look at Eudora, who just shrugged her shoulders, he followed. Klaus sat quietly, waiting for the man to start._ _

__“Now, I know Mister Gogo has asked me not to speak with you tonight, but I feel this is unfair to you.” Pogo started. “I understand you’re currently looking for employment?” Klaus fiddled with his thumbs, hands in his lap._ _

__“Uhm, yes I am. But I don’t think I could do-” Pogo cut him off before he could finish._ _

__“Of course not, no. I was simply asking because we are in the process of looking for another server for the floor. We have a position opening up temporarily. I thought since we already had a new member in the apartments in search of a job that it would be best to first extend the offer to you.” He explained, folding his hands on the table in front of him._ _

__Klaus was stunned. Could a golden opportunity really be dropped on his plate right now? He recalled the things that Diego had said about the owner. And Jill, hadn’t she said that once you were in this place didn’t let you go? But Pogo himself said it was only a temporary position. And really, when he thought about it, Klaus really liked the idea of being here. Getting to spend time here with Jill, getting to see Diego perform. He considered the pros and cons briefly._ _

__What sold him was a chance to have an income. With any luck, he’d be able to put a dent in repaying everyone who had been spending money on him in the past week. He squared his shoulders and gave what he hoped was a professional smile._ _

__“I appreciate the offer, Pogo. I would love to take the job.”_ _


End file.
